Belt Tongue Comprising A Torsion Bar

ABSTRACT

A belt tongue having a tongue body, a clamping element in the tongue body, a belt webbing guided through a cavity in the tongue body and running through a gap between the clamping element and the tongue body. The belt webbing can be moved though the tongue body in an unstressed position and, in a stressed position is brought about by a tensile force on the belt webbing, is clamped on a clamping edge of the cavity by the clamping element that is pivotally mounted in the tongue. Laterally to the clamping element, guide sections are arranged, between which the belt webbing runs, so that the belt webbing in the lateral region of the cavity does not go between the clamping element and the tongue body. The cavity forms cavities laterally from the clamping edge.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2014 114 207.1, filed on Sep. 30, 2014 and PCT/EP2015/072514, filed on Sep. 30, 2015.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a belt tongue having a tongue body that extends in a belt webbing insertion direction, a clamping element being arranged in the tongue body such that a belt webbing guided through a cavity in the tongue body and running through a gap that is formed between the clamping element and the tongue body, can be moved though the tongue body in an unstressed free-running position. In a stressed position (upon a high level tension acting on the webbing) the clamping element brought about by a tensile force that is applied to the belt webbing, is clamped on a clamping edge of the cavity the clamping element that is pivotally mounted in the tongue body and can be pivoted into the cavity.

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTORY DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A belt tongue with the above-named features is known for example from DE 20 2010 013 986 U1. A clamping element designated as a locking cam is pivotally mounted in the tongue body; a torsion spring being provided that applies a force to the clamping element mounted in the tongue body in a free-running position. In a stressed position, the belt webbing running through a cavity in the tongue body is clamped between the clamping element and a clamping edge running parallel to the surface of the belt webbing. It has now been found that the belt webbing in certain situations is also pinched on the side regions of the clamping element between the clamping element and a lateral edge of the cavity, wherein the belt webbing is kinked. This results in the disadvantage that in a stressed position, the force applied by the torsion spring is not sufficient to release the blocking position caused by the pinched belt webbing.

The task of the present invention therefore is to solve the described problem at least in part with reference to the prior art and in particular to provide a belt tongue in which pinching of the belt webbing in the region of the lateral edges of the cavity is prevented and/or in which the blocking position of the belt webbing between the clamping element and a lateral edge of the cavity can be released.

These problems are solved with a belt tongue with the features described herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above described problems are in particular solved by a belt tongue in accordance with the present invention with the initially named features in which guide sections are laterally arranged on the clamping element, between which guide sections the belt webbing runs, so that the belt webbing does not go between the clamping element and the belt tongue in the lateral region of the cavity, wherein the cavity has cavity portions formed laterally from the clamping element and directed in the webbing insertion direction, in which the guide sections of the clamping elements are arranged at least in the stressed position.

Thus, the tongue body has a cavity that is guided through the belt webbing. The tongue body has in particular a metallic core and a plastic part injection molded onto the core. Furthermore, the tongue body has a clamping element that is pivotably mounted on the tongue body. The clamping element having in particular a clamping region that at least in the stressed position comes in contact with the belt webbing. In the unstressed, free-running position, the gap formed in particular running between the clamping region of the clamping element and a clamping element edge running in particular parallel to the clamping region and the belt webbing surface of the clamping element of the cavity is large enough that the belt webbing is freely movable through the gap.

If a tensile force is directed at a belt tongue inserted in a belt lock, in particular in a lap belt section of the belt webbing, a force is applied to the clamping element by the belt webbing in such a way that the clamping element is pivoted and consequently the gap between the clamping region of the clamping element and the clamping edge of the cavity is reduced, wherein in particular the clamping region of the clamping element is pivoted into the cavity. If the force directed into the lap belt is large enough, the belt webbing is securely clamped in the cavity between the clamping region of the clamping element and the clamping edge of the cavity.

To keep the belt webbing from going between a lateral edge of the cavity and the clamping element, it is provided in accordance with the present invention that projecting guide sections are arranged laterally to the clamping element, in particular over the clamping region of the clamping element. The guide section extends in particular in a direction over and outward from the clamping region of the clamping element, on which the belt webbing is guided by the tongue body both in the free-running position and in the stressed position. Hence the belt webbing is laterally bounded by the guide sections, and in particular cannot come into contact with lateral edges of the cavity.

So that the belt webbing in particular in the region of the clamping element of the cavity is laterally bounded by the guide sections, the guide sections of the clamping elements in the stressed position engage the cavities or are in particular also even in the free-running position are arranged in the cavity portions that extend laterally from the clamping edge in the direction of the insertion direction and thus form a region of the cavity. By means of the cavities extending in the insertion direction, the structural height of the belt tongue in the insertion direction can be reduced.

The guide sections in particular each have an arcuate margin that at least in the stressed position is arranged in the cavity, but does not project over the tongue body.

The above-named problems were in particular also solved independently of the embodiment of guide sections on the clamping element in accordance with the present invention in that laterally on both sides of the clamping element, a cam each projecting from the pivot axis of the clamping element in one direction is formed, adjacent to the pivot bearing of the clamping element, and is provided with at least one spring element, which applies reset force on the cams on the clamping element in the direction of the free-running position of the clamping element. The pivot bearing of the clamping element is implemented in particular by a pin-like section on the clamping element, which is arranged as the pivot axis in the tongue body. The cams are formed adjacent to the pivot bearing for example by a section of the clamping element formed in particular by a projecting section of the clamping element projecting in particular orthogonally to the pivot axis, the cams having for example a tapering cross section proceeding from the pivot axis. The spring element applies a force on these projecting cams so that torque is directed toward the clamping element and loads the clamping element in the direction of its free-running position.

In this regard, it is especially provided that the spring element is a leaf spring supported on a stop formed on the tongue body. The leaf springs thus lie each with its two ends on a cam and are supported on a stop formed in particular by a lug on the tongue body. With a leaf spring, substantially higher forces can be transferred to the clamping element than with a torsion spring, so that a higher reset force is applied to the clamping element, and thus possibly the blocking position caused by the belt webbing wedged between the clamping element and the lateral edge of the cavity is released.

Alternatively, it can be provided that at least one spring element is formed by bonding with the tongue body, so that installation of the belt tongue is simplified.

Independently of the above-described embodiments of the belt tongue and in particular independently of the design of guide sections on the clamping element, the above-named problems can also be resolved in accordance with this invention in that the clamping element is pivotably mounted by a torsion element that is non-rotatably secured in the tongue body and non-rotatably connected to the clamping element, which torsion element in the stressed position applies a reset force on the clamping element in the direction of the free-running position of the clamping element.

The torsion element thus has two functions. On the one hand, it supports the clamping element pivotably in the tongue body, and on the other in the stressed position it applies a reset force on the clamping element. The torsion element during pivoting of the clamping element from the free-running position to the stressed position, in which the clamping element is pivoted in particular by a maximum of 60°, preferably by a maximum of 40°, is elastically deformed, in particular twisted. The torsion element in particular is a torsion rod and made from a suitable material. The torsion element can be configured in a single piece with the clamping element, or can be an individual component of the belt tongue.

In particular, if the clamping element forms an individual component of the belt tongue, the torsion element is non-rotatably mounted only on one side of the tongue body, and connected to the clamping element only on the clamping element side, which is not assigned to the side of the tongue body secured with the torsion element. In particular, in this embodiment the torsion element is an elastically deformable torsion bar. Due to the fastening of the torsion element on various sides of the belt tongue on the tongue body and the clamping element, the region of the torsion element twisted during pivoting of the clamping element has a maximal length, so that there is also an elastic (rotational) deformation of the torsion element over the possible angle range.

The above-named problems would also be solved independently of the previously described embodiments and in particular independently of the embodiment of guide sections on the clamping element in that in the tongue body at least one lug is formed that projects into the cavity and at least one groove is formed on the clamping element, which with the lug engages at least during the pivoting motion, so that in the stressed position the lug on a facing surface of the groove comes into contact with the clamping elements, and in this way the pivoting motion of the pivoting element is limited.

The lug is formed in particular on the side of the cavity lying opposite the clamping edge of the cavity. The lug forms a stop for the pivoting motion of the clamping element, so that in the stressed position with an increase in the force directed to the belt webbing, the force acting on the belt webbing is limited, since after contact of the front surfaces of groove with the lug, the forces directed at the tongue body and further pivoting of the clamping element is halted. Consequently, self-clamping of the belt webbing in the fastens position could be avoided and on an embodiment without guide sections on the clamping element, the blocking force from a belt webbing component between the clamping element and the lateral edge of the cavity could be limited. Hence despite the wedging of the belt webbing between the clamping element and the lateral edge of the cavity, reversibility from the blocking position to the free-running position would be possible.

According to a further embodiment of the belt tongue according with this invention, a guide element laterally projects from both guide sections, which are arranged in the receptacles that receive the torsion element and at least partially encompass the guide recesses in the tongue body, wherein the guide elements and the guide recesses are shaped such that the pivoting motion of the clamping element is guided by the guide elements moved in the guide recesses. Through such an embodiment, an additional or alternative pivot bearing can be configured, the guide recesses preferably also forming a stop for the pivoting motion of the clamping element.

In this connection, it can be provided that a straight installation recess extending to an edge of the tongue body connects to the guide recesses, by which the clamping element is linearly displaced during installation with the guide element, and due to subsequent pivoting is secured against reverse displacement. After the pivoting, a projection of the guide elements on the respective installation recesses is greater than the breadth of the corresponding installation recesses, so that the guide elements cannot go backward into the installation recesses. In such a pivoted state, in particular the torsion element can be inserted through the clamping element, so that even after reverse pivoting, the clamping element is secured against reverse displacement by the installation recesses. In this case the torsion element the torsion element has two functions. On the one hand, it secures the clamping element against reverse displacement and on the other hand it provides a reset force during pivoting of the clamping element. Thus, a simple installation of the clamping element and the torsion element is also possible.

According to one embodiment of the belt tongue according to the present invention, it is provided that the belt webbing is drawn transversely to the insertion direction simply through the cavity in the tongue body, such that the belt webbing is guided only one time through the tongue body, meaning the cavity in the tongue body, and thus extends from a front side of the belt tongue to the reverse side of the belt tongue through the tongue body. This in particular keeps the belt webbing from forming a loop in the region of the belt tongue, wherein the belt webbing would be inserted in the belt tongue from the same side from which it was pulled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is shown schematically:

FIG. 1: is an exploded view of a first embodiment of a belt tongue in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2: shows a reverse side of the belt tongue of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3: shows a detail of the belt tongue;

FIG. 4: shows a front side of the belt;

FIG. 5: is a sectional view through the belt tongue in a free-running position;

FIG. 6: is a sectional view of the belt tongue in a stressed position;

FIG. 7: is a front view of the second embodiment of a belt tongue;

FIG. 8: shows a torsion element of the second embodiment of the belt tongue;

FIG. 9-11: are detailed views of the second embodiment of the belt tongue;

FIG. 12: is an exploded view of the third embodiment of the belt tongue;

FIG. 13: is a sectional view through the third embodiment of the belt tongue; and

FIG. 14: is a further sectional view through the third embodiment of the belt tongue.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 of a belt tongue 1 includes a tongue body 3, which extends in an insertion direction 2. A cavity 5 is formed in the tongue body 3, which in the downward insertion direction 2 is bounded in sections by a clamping edge 8. Laterally to the clamping edge 8, the cavities 10 extend in the insertion direction 2. On the side of the cavity 5 lying opposite the clamping edge 8, there are lugs 14 configured on the tongue body 3 and projecting into the cavity 5. In addition, on the tongue body 3 there is a stop 17 configured, with which a leaf spring 12 is brought in contact with its middle region.

The belt tongue 1 further includes a clamping element 4 that is pivotably mounted with bearing pins 18 in the tongue body 3. Adjacent the bearing pins 18, a cam 11 is configured that tapers in one direction. In the installed state, the ends of the leaf springs 12 lie on the cam 11 so that torque is applied onto the clamping element 4.

The clamping element 4 further has grooves 15 with front surfaces 16 in which the lugs 14 are arranged when the belt tongue 1 is installed.

The clamping element 4 further forms in the lateral region the guide sections 9 backed in the installed state are at least partially arranged in the recess 10 of the cavity 5. As follows in particular from FIG. 3, a gap 6 is formed between a clamping region 22 of the clamping element 4 and the clamping edge 8 of the cavity 5, through which a belt webbing 7 may be guided. This gap 6 is bounded on both sides by the guide sections 9 of the clamping element 4, so that the belt webbing 7 is arranged between the guide sections 9. The belt webbing 7 can thus not go between the clamping element 4 and a lateral edge 19 of the cavity 5.

As is shown in FIG. 5, in a free-running position, the gap 6 formed between the clamping region 22 of the clamping element 4 and the clamping edge 8 of the cavity 5 is large enough that the belt webbing 7 is freely movable therethrough. The belt webbing 7 is here laterally bounded by the guide sections 9.

If a tension force is directed into a lap belt section of the belt webbing 7 at or above a predetermined magnitude, due to this force the clamping element 4 is pivoted, so that the gap is reduced in size until finally the belt webbing 7 is wedged between the clamping region 22 of the clamping element 4 and the clamping edge 8, and in this way a stressed position is achieved, as shown in FIG. 6. In this stressed position, also the front surface 16 of the groove 15 the front surface 16 of the groove 15 comes to a limiting stop with the lugs 14, by which the force acting on the belt webbing 7 is limited.

In FIG. 7 a second embodiment of a belt tongue 1 is shown, which differs from the first embodiment in the pivot bearing of the clamping element 4 and the application of a reset force, but beyond that the function of the clamping element 4 and the guide sections 9 mounted thereon are identical to the first embodiment, so that below only the differences are examined.

According to the second embodiment, the clamping element 4 is pivotably mounted on the tongue body 3 by elastically deformable torsion element 13, wherein the torsion element 13 at the same time applies a reset force on the clamping element 4. The torsion element 13 for this purpose is non-rotatably secured by a form-fit on a first side 20 in a receptacle 28 on the tongue body 3. One the side 21 of the tongue body lying opposite the first side 20, torsion element 13 guided through the entire clamping element 4 is non-rotatably mounted in a receptacle 28 in the tongue body 3 as is clear from FIG. 11.

So that the torsion element 13 shown in FIG. 8 can be deformed (twisted) during a pivoting movement of the clamping element 4 over the greatest possible displacement, the torsion element 13 is only non-rotatably connected to the clamping element 4 on a side of the clamping element 4 assigned to the second side 21 of the tongue body 3 by a form-fit brought about by the receptacle 28, as is shown in FIG. 10. In this regard, it is evident from FIG. 9 that the torsion element 13 on the side of the clamping element 4 assigned to the first side 20 of the tongue body 3 is arranged in the receptacle 28 non-rotatably with respect to the clamping element 4.

If the clamping element 4 is now pivoted from its free-running position to its stressed position, the torsion element 13 pivoted between the non-rotatable fastening on the first side 20 of the clamping element 4 and the non-rotatable connection of the torsion element 13 with the clamping element 4 over nearly its entire length, wherein a reset force is applied on the clamping element 4 due to the elastic deformation of the torsion element 13 thereby resulting.

FIG. 12 shows a third embodiment of a belt tongue 1, wherein the functioning principle of the belt tongue substantially conforms to the functioning principle of the belt tongues previously described. The belt tongue 1, similarly to the second embodiment, has a torsion element 13 that applies a reset force directed to the free-running position when the clamping element 4 is pivoted onto it. In the following, therefore, we shall examine primarily the differences from the above-described embodiment.

The clamping element 4 has guide elements 23 laterally on the outside of its guide sections 9. The tongue body 3 has guide recesses 24 corresponding to the guide elements 23 on lateral inner sides directed in the direction of the cavity 5, to each of which one installation recess 25 connects. As follows in particular from the sectional view shown in FIG. 13, which shows a section through the belt tongue 1 in the region of the guide element 23 and the guide recess 24, the guide recess 24 is configured in a half-ring shape, to which the straight installation recess 25 connects. Due to the installation recesses 25, the clamping element 4 with the rough quarter-ring-shaped guide element 23 can be brought to its installation position. For installation, the clamping element 4 on both sides with the guide elements 23 is linearly displaced through the guide recesses 24, wherein the clamping element 4 is secured against reverse displacement by subsequent pivoting based on the then greater extent of the guide elements 23 in projection on the breadth of the installation recesses 25. Due to the guide elements 23 and the guide recesses 24, therefore, a pivot bearing of the clamping element 4 in the tongue body 3 is achieved. The torsion element 13 arranged in the receptacles 28 in the clamping element 4 has in this regard not only the function of applying a reset force on the pivoted clamping element 4, but also the function of securing the pivoted clamping element 4 against back-displacement through the installation recesses 25 in the accordingly pivoted position.

As follows from the FIGS. 13 and 14, the tongue body 3 consists of a metallic core 26 and an injected molded plastic 27.

FIG. 14 shows a sectional view through the tongue body 3 in the region of the guide section 9. Viewed in conjunction with FIG. 12, it can be seen that the guide section 9 is arranged in a cavity 10 configured in the plastic 27, wherein the clamping element 4 in the upper region of the cavity 5 lies against the plastic 27 in a sliding manner during the pivoting motion.

While the above description constitutes the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope and fair meaning of the accompanying claims. 

1. A belt tongue for a belt webbing comprising a tongue body extending in an insertion direction, a clamping element arranged in the tongue body such that the belt strap guided through a cavity in the tongue body and running through a gap that is formed between the clamping element and the tongue body can be moved though the tongue body in an unstressed free-running position and, in a stressed position brought about by a tensile force applied to the belt webbing, is clamped on a clamping edge of the cavity by the clamping element that is pivotally mounted in the tongue body and can be pivoted into the cavity, laterally to the clamping element guide sections are arranged, between which the belt webbing runs, so that the belt in the lateral regions of the cavity does not go between the clamping element and the tongue body, wherein the cavity forms cavity portions formed laterally from the clamping edge (8) and directed in the insertion direction, in which the guide sections of the clamping element are arranged at least in the stressed position.
 2. The belt tongue according to claim 2, further comprising laterally on both sides of the clamping element, one cam each projecting from the pivot axis of the clamping element in one direction is formed, adjacent to a pivot bearing of the clamping element, and is provided with at least one spring element, which spring element applies a reset force on the cams on the clamping element in the direction of the free-running position of the clamping element.
 3. The belt tongue according to claim 2, further comprising the spring element is a leaf spring supported on a stop configured on the tongue body.
 4. A belt tongue according to claim 2, further comprising the spring element is configured in a form-fit manner with the tongue body.
 5. A belt tongue according to claim 1, further comprising the clamping element is pivotably mounted by a torsion element that is non-rotatably secured in the tongue body and non-rotatably connected to the clamping element, which torsion element in the stressed position applies a reset force on the clamping element in the direction of the free-running position of the clamping element.
 6. A belt tongue according to claim 5, further comprising the torsion element is non-rotatably mounted only on one side of the tongue body and is connected to the clamping element only on the side of the clamping element that is not assigned to the side of the tongue body secured with the torsion element.
 7. A belt tongue according to claim 1 further comprising, on the tongue body least one lug projecting into the cavity is formed, and on the clamping element at least one groove, with which the lug engages at least during the pivoting movement, so that in the stressed position the lug on a front surface of the groove comes in contact with the clamping element and thus the pivoting motion of the clamping element is limited.
 8. A belt tongue according to claim 5, further comprising in that a guide element laterally projects from both guide sections, which are arranged in the receptacles that receive the torsion element and at least partially encompass guide recesses in the tongue body, wherein the guide elements and the guide recesses are shaped such that the pivoting motion of the clamping element is guided by the guide elements moved in the guide recesses.
 9. A belt tongue according to claim 8, further comprising a straight installation recess extending to an edge of the tongue body connects to the guide recesses, by which the clamping element is linearly displaced during installation with the guide element and due to subsequent pivoting is secured against a reverse displacement.
 10. A belt tongue according to claim 1, further comprising the belt webbing is drawn transversely to the insertion direction through the cavity in the tongue body.
 11. A belt tongue according to claim 3, further comprising the leaf spring further forming a pair of hands engaging with a cam surface formed by the clamping element at near the lateral ends of the clamping element. 